April 2012 Archives

Sporting a tan, lighter (but not gray) hair and five pounds more muscle, prison hasn't been too cruel to Rod Blagojevich, his onetime lawyer says.
Of course, Blagojevich just began his 14-year sentence about a month ago.
Blagojevich has a cell mate and they're getting along.
For now, the former governor is washing dishes in the kitchen but he's hoping that'll change by the summer.
For the first 90 days, prison inmates must do menial jobs, his onetime lawyer, Sam Adam Jr. says.
"After 90 days he's hoping for a job in the library, teaching Shakespeare and or Greek Mythology," attorney Sam Adam Jr. says.
Sam Adam Jr. and his father, Sam Adam, both visited the former governor on Sunday in his prison outside of Denver. Adam Jr. said he, his father and his son took a train ride across the country to visit the former client.
Their visit followed a visit by Patti and their two daughters about two weeks ago.
Blagojevich's hair is "not at all" gray, Sam Adam Jr. says. "It's brown. Who knew?"
The former governor has put on five to 10-pounds of muscle, from working out behind bars, Adam says.
And he hasn't had to give up his love for running.
He's running four to five days a week for four to five miles.
Blagojevich wasn't mad about his chief of staff John Harris' 10-day sentence.
Though he apologized for his acts during his December sentencing, Blagojevich yesterday said neither he nor Harris did anything wrong, according to Adam.
Blagojevich's mini-celebrity status hasn't worn out in prison. "He is the mayor," Adam said. "He knows everybody's name. He's politicking there."
Blagojevich was convicted last June on 17 of 20 counts of corruption, including attempting to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
Fox's Larry Yellen first reported the update from Colorado: watch video here.

The longtime federal witness whose testimony has brought down some of the biggest names in Illinois, is finally scheduled to be sentenced.
U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve on Tuesday set a June 28 sentencing date for Stuart Levine, who testified in the trials of political fixer Tony Rezko and Downstate powerbroker William Cellini. Both Rezko and Cellini were convicted at their trials.
She also scheduled a Sept. 7 sentencing date for Steve Loren, the onetime attorney for the Teachers Retirement System who has also pleaded guilty and testified for the government.
Levine once sat on two state boards. He is an admitted drug user and serial conman who from the witness stand told of a lifetime of scams and swindles including paying out bribes and extorting others who were seeking state work.
Levine had worked out a deal with prosecutors to serve about five and a half years behind bars. It's a deal that defense lawyers have criticized for years, arguing that Levine will see less prison time even though he pocketed actual money.
Prosecutors though say Levine's cooperation was invaluable.
At Rod Blagojevich's December sentencing Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar called Levine one of the most significant cooperators the Dirksen Federal Courthouse had ever seen.
The ultimate decision on Levine's sentence will be up to St. Eve, who asked prosecutors this morning to include in filings the extent of Levine's cooperation.
Rezko's trial was before St. Eve. Last year, she sentenced him to 10 ½ years behind bars.